Maria Broderick
St. Ursula Academy
Helena, played by Lydia Tobler, is one of the young lovers and who is in love with Demetrius even though he is not in love with her. Tobler showed great growth throughout the play and perfectly portrayed Helena’s insecurities and wants as a character.
The marketing and publicity work of Hanna Kovacs and Sayre Frederick, and the graphic design work of Brittany Mapes were outstanding. The use of interviews and a student designed website without a doubt enhanced their work.
Gabriel Albacarys
St. Xavier High School
Every production requires talent on stage, but for any production wishing to exceed the average, the technical aspects are equally important, and Colerain’s tech was successful in this regard. The lighting, minus a few hiccups (some unfocused lights and slightly missed cues) was well-executed and did a good job of illuminating the stage evenly and colorfully. One favorite in the lighting department was the flash of red corresponding to every lightning strike during an argument between several of the fairies.
The set was a treat to watch the actors utilize. It turns out that all the greenery around the set was real and freshly cut, giving the stage a very natural appearance. All the fresh greenery, combined with the various trapdoors, hiding places, and an opening right in the middle of the set, center stage, made for entertaining and varied places for the actors to perform in.
Alyssa Cousineau
William Mason High School
Although the entire cast was full of enjoyable qualities, one performer who stood out over the rest was Zach Jung in his role as Nick Bottom. Jung truly captured the essence of the outlandish Bottom and completely committed to it. He never once lost sight of his character even while taking exciting risks that left the entire audience erupting in laughter each time he entered the stage. Perhaps the most admirable quality of Jung’s performance was how well he understood the language. The fact that he truly knew what he was saying made it so easy for the more difficult language, a task difficult for a high school student.
Bridget Nicholas
Scott High School
Lively Beatles music underscored the cheerful tone of the performance, as the cast enthusiastically delivered lines peppered with allusions to the band. The cast executed their blocking skillfully, with precise physical encounters—including falls and fights that were almost painful to watch. Overall, the cast maintained momentum and energy throughout, and the show progressed at a peppy pace.
A whimsical note was added to the performance by the arrival of a van full of hippies that thought they were talented actors. The entire group worked well together, reacting to the others’ lines with perfect comedic timing. The group of lovers— Demetrius, played by Chris Marchan, Lysander, played by Brandon Townsend, Hermia, played by Ariel McCoy, and Helena, played by Lydia Tobler —also provided excellent portrayals of varying tension.
Marie Policastro
Loveland High School
Helping to develop the organized chaos of the lovers was Lysander, portrayed by Brandon Townsend. Townsend’s emotion and enthusiasm was most definitely conveyed in his character. Craftily portrayed by Sydney Sanders, Puck’s characterization was superb. Sanders provided a light-hearted humor that was endearing. Her understanding of her character was well displayed through her mannerisms, delivery, and altogether quirkiness. Her childlike curiosity was delightful.
Providing the humor for this comedy came solely from the Rude Mechanics. Nick Bottom, played by Zach Jung, led this troop of troubadours with his hilarity. He commanded the stage with his over-the-top emotion and spirit, fully capturing all that Bottom should encompass. Supporting Bottom in his glorious role as Pyramus was Frances Flute, played by Hanna Kovacs, playing Thisbe. Acting as a foil, Flute perfectly portrayed an apathetic actress. Her disgust and indifference toward any and all action was exactly what her character called for and provided a memorable performance. Working together harmonious, the Rude Mechanics provided refreshing comedic relief.
Rachael Moser
Scott High School
Colerain’s simple platform set was very versatile, and allowed actors to utilize it throughout the progression of the show. Their use of foliage and back drop added detail to the majestic and whimsical atmosphere, giving an overall magical effect. The color and gel choices for the lights accented the vibrant colors in costumes and other set pieces. The lighting assisted in the mood change from scene to scene, especially when transitioning from the human to fairy world. The sound cues, apart from a few microphone issues, had impeccable timing when pairing them with actors’ movements and scene changes.
In her portrayal of Helena, Lydia Tobler was rather convincing as her character, and her use of emotion was highly believable. Her use of facial expressions and vocal variation was great, and her constant
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